Screw-driver.



No. 797,078. PATENTEDAUG. 15, 1905. G. SHELTON.

SCREW DRIVER. AIPPLIOYATION FILED 41116.11, 1904.

w/msssas: v I INVENTOR 7 GJSheItOn 7 Br W I ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

Lpplioation filed August 11, 1904. Serial No. 220,316.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GENTRY SHnLToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Screw-Drivers, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to screw-drivers, and particularly to means for holding screws of various sizes so that the end of the blade will not slip from the slot in the screw-head during the operation of inserting the screw.

The object of my invention is to provide a screw-holder for screw-drivers which will be of the simplest possible construction and which at the same time will be effective in operation and not liable to get out of order.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a form of screw-driver made in accordance with my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the preferred form of my screwdriver. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View, the handle being broken away; and Fig. 3 1s a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a screw in position in the holder. Like marks of reference refer to similar parts in the several views of the drawings.

10 represents the handle of a screw-driver, and 11 the stem or blade, having the usual flattened end 12. The flattened end 12 is adapted to engage with the slot 13 in the conical head 14: of an ordinary wood-screw 15.

16 is a sleeve sliding on the blade or stem 11 and provided at its lower end with a conical portion 17, forming the screw-holder. The inner face'of this conical portion 17 is provided with a continuous spiral screw-thread 18 of a form best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which will properly engage with the beveled edge of the head 14 of the screw 15, as shown in Fig. 3. The screw is placed in position in the holder simply by inserting the head and giving the screw one or more turns until,

owing to the spiral form of the screw, it becomes firmly wedged in position, as shown in Fig. 3. It is evident that the holder will accommodate screw-heads of greatly-varying sizes, owing to the conical form of the thread. In order to prevent the screw-holder from becoming disengaged from the blade or stem 11, the lower edge of the flattened part 12 may be slightly expanded, as shown at 19 in Fig. 2, after the blade has been placed in position. This will prevent the sleeve and attached holder from becoming disengaged from the blade. In order to hold the holder and sleeve out of operation when it is desired to do so, the upper end of the blade or stem 11 adjacent to the handle is slightly expanded, as shown at 20. As the sleeve 16 fits snugly on the stem 11 it can be wedged on this part 20 so that it will be held out of position, and the screw driver may be used as an ordinary screw-driver.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. The combination with the blade of a screw-driver, of a conical holder carried by said blade and provided with a spiral groove for receiving the edges of screw-heads of various sizes.

2. The combination with the blade of a screw-driver, of a conical holder slidingly carried by said blade and provided with a spiral groove for receiving the edges of screw-heads of various sizes.

3. The combination with the blade of a.

screw-driver, of a sleeve slidingly mounted thereon, and a conical holder. rigidly carried by said sleeve and provided with a spiral groove for receiving the edges of screw-heads of various sizes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

GENTRY SHELTON. [L. s.l

itnesses:

Gno. N. SEARs, D. C. BETJEMAN. 

